Hikari no Inochi
by Ka Tokubi
Summary: There may be a mistake in the uploaded chapters. Please tell me if this is so.My eight Yugioh Fanfic:Yami Yugi discovers Yugi is dying and then they are both mysteriously transported into the past. What is going on? Why is Yugi dying? Will anyone in the p
1. Into the past

Chapter 1. Into the past

Yami Yugi POV

No... Yugi... dying...

Even now I couldn't belive it. It wasn't even like he was sick or something. It was his soul.

Aibou... Aibou!I called to him in his soul room. I was holding him in there. His eyelids fluttered a bit...

/Y-Yami... What's going on... I feel... I don't feel anything/

Yugi... I'm afraid. I think you're dying.

/Dying? But how, Yami. Do I need to see a docter? It can't be _that _serious/

No Yugi. You... your ba, your soul is dying... and I think it's because of me.

/You? But how/

I think that the presence of dual minds is hurting you somehow

/Yami, that's ridiculous/ he laughed /We've been together for so long. How could something be happening now/

That's just the problem Yugi... I don't know

For a while we just waited there. The puzzle was probably just responding to my emotions but something wierd happened. Suddenly, I was in my palace. All around me were giant statues of the Egyptian gods. I was bewildered. Where exactly was I? Just then there was a voice.

"You! What are you doing here? Only the Pharaoh and I are allowed in here."

I looked up. Kaiba? No, Priest Seto. I remembered now. He was the high priest. I stood up, still carrying Yugi.

"Ph-Pharaoh!" He exclaimed, shocked, when he got a good look at my face. "But you can't be! He is the Pharaoh!" He yelled motioning toward a man identical to me who had just appeared in the doorway. Well, identical except for the fact he was much tanner and a bit slimmer. "You must be a imposter!"

"Don't jumpt to conclusions, Seto-san," He said calmly and approached me. "Who are you?" He asked me, "What are you doing here?"

I wasn't sure what to do but I bowed to him. It was a rather awkward bow, partially because I was carrying Yugi and partially because it was kind of strange to be bowing to my self. "I am... um," I couldn't give him his own name, "Moo hitori no Yuugi."

"Another Yugi?" The other me asked, "Who's Yugi."  
I quickly summarized what had just happened. Seto still stood at the doorway in a sort of shock.

"So..." The Pharaoh asked, staring at me, "You're me? How do I know you're telling the truth?"

"You don't have to believe me, um, Pharaoh-sama, all you have to believe is that I need to save Yugi."

"Come with me!" He ordered.

"But you're majesty, what if..." Seto started.

"It's alright, I can deal with the situation. Thank you for your help."

Priest Seto looked uncomfortable and quickly left the scene.

"Come with me to my chambers, we'll discuss more there and..." He laughed, "Get you some more appropriate clothes."

I followed. When he arrived there, he had no problem finding some clothes for me from his own wardrobe. I politely refused but he insisted. Soon, although not quite as richly dressed, I looked almost exactly like him. So much in fact, probably only his closest friends could tell I wasn't him. I felt uncomfortable... like I was an imposter! But he just laughed at the resemblance. My former self was so... light hearted! I didn't remember being like this. Oh, yes, this was probably when he was younger, before he fully realized the responsibility of being a ruler.

"Come on, let's go eat dinner," He invited.

"But what about Yuugi?" I asked.

"Don't worry," he replied, "I'll have my healers look after him."

"But you don't understand, um, your majesty, his illness is not illness of the flesh but of the ba," I said.

He looked uncomfortable as though he had only just realized the seriousness of the situation, which was probably the case. "Don't worry, my friend," he replied comfortingly, "The priests can take care of him. They are well trained in this kind of thing. They might even find out the problem," He said, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Now c'mon, oh, yeah, and you don't have to call me Pharaoh or you'll be um-ing your entire stay here. I mean... it shouldn't be a problem if you really are me, besides, I never really cared for all that silly protocol stuff anyway. Just call me Atemu."

"Alright," I replied, "Atemu..." I said that word slowly again later. Atemu, my real name.


	2. Guest of honorat my own table

Chapter 2. Guest of honor - at my own table

As I followed Atemu downstairs, I wondered how we could both be existing... I mean, we were both me and if Yugi and I couldn't even coexist... It was making my head hurt. As we walked into the dining room, I could see that the people there were doing everything they could to keep from staring. They were probably thinking, who is that strange man who looks like our Pharaoh. Is he safe?

I looked at the people there and the order of seats came back to me. Atemu was siting in my seat and I was sitting in the seat of honor. Next was Seto, then Mahaado... wait, Mahaado wasn't there neither was Ashisu.

"Where are Mahaado and Ashisu?" I asked Atemu.

"Oh, they're taking care of Yugi," He replied.

"That's very nice of them," I commented.

"Not particularly," Atem corrected, "They're just doing what I said."

"Hmmm," I wondered. I was even more foolish than I thought at this age. "But they are being nice. Being 'you' I remember many things and you will so realize their loyalty."

"Everyone's loyal to me. I'm the Pharaoh," He replied. "Yes, their my good friends but even if they weren't they'd still do what I say." He thought a moment. "Maybe you're right... I'll think about it. It never crossed my mind during my training."

Ahh yes, my training. Training strength, protocol, but most of all, training to someday be Pharaoh. It would be tiring at times but also interesting to hear about my ancestors. In fact, to get my tutors to lecture my on 'the great kings of the past' I'd do bad things on purpose sometimes! Aa, I made them so mad...

"Are you going to eat?" Atemu asked. He was stuffing his face while I just sat there thinking. There was just so much to take in.

"Oh, yeah," I said, "I was just thinking."

He started to ask what it was I was thinking but stopped and said, "Hmm, okay."

Aishisu POV

I walked upstairs with Mahaado to take care of this 'Yugi'. Atemu had been ordering us around again... well, me anyway. He was gentler with Mahaado like he always was. They seemed to have a closer relationship. When we got there, I was surpriesed to see how much he looked like our Pharaoh. He was wearing a linen shenti but I could see his own clothes on a chair. They were so strange. No matter how often I observed the future, I couldn't get used to them. They looked so… restricting.

The boy was lying on a bed. Mahaado put a hand on him. "He looks fine to me," He said.

Men..."Looks are deceving Mahaado. Like Moo hitori no Yuugi-Sama said, he is ill in soul not in flesh."

"Oh, yes," he smiled, "Must have slipped my mind. Sorry Priestess."

Mahaado was very kind and polite, though. I tried to feel inside Yugi's mind with my magic while Mahaado made a potion.

"Mana! Pass the lizard spit!"

"Lizard spit, Osshou-sama"

"Mana! Pass the egg white!"

"Egg white, Osshou-sama!"

His little apprentice ran back and forth bringing ingredients to her master. I smiled. She was so cute. When Mahaado was finally done, he dumped the strange solution on Yugi.

Boom

There was a explosion and Yugi was covered with soot. I cried out and checked. Good, Yugi wasn't hurt.

"Mana!"

"Aye, Osshou-sama," Mana replied.

"Did you give me horned toad spit instead of lizard spit?"

Mana checked the vile and sweatdropped.

"Mana! Are you trying to kill him?" Mahaado scolded, "If you want to be a great magician, you have to learn to be very very accurate!"

"Deeply sorry, Osshou-sama!" She quickly amended.

"Arg! Mana!"

Mana quickly left the room.

Atemu POV

The more time I spent with him the more believable it seemed that he was me. His personality, his looks, his wise words like he know exactly what I was thinking. It was amazing!

"Come on," I said after dinner, "Let's go back to my room. You can sleep there with me."  
"Oh, no, I couldn't! That would be too much of an honor!" He refused.

There he went again. It was the only thing that made me doubt him. If he was really the Pharaoh, wouldn't he be more possessive of his own palace and servants? I knew he was just being polite but it really got on my nerves.

"Aren't you me?" I snapped at him.

"Yeah, I guess so..." He agreed.

"Then come on! Just live like you are then!"

He sighed. Was I going to be like this when I grew up? But that would make me a bore! I must admit though, he would make a pretty good leader.

Normal POV

"Who was that girl with the brown hair?" I asked Atemu. She seemed strangely attractive.

"Oh, you mean Teanna? She's my fiance," He replied.

"She reminded me of someone at home. A certain someone..." I coughed, "Named Anzu."

"Hm," He replied.

When we got to the room, Mahaado and Aishisu were busily attending to Yugi.

"Thank you for attending to him. I am very greatful..."

"You may go now," Atemu cut me off.

"Atem," I whispered, "You need to be a little more polite. They will like you better if you are," I suggested.

The priests left the room.


	3. A night in Egypt

Chapter 3. A night in Egypt

"Why did you want me to be more polite to them?" Atemu asked me after the priests left. "They'll do what I say anyway, even if I'm not nice to them. It's just a waste of time."

"Well, you see," I started. It was like talking to a kid... well, I guess I... he was a kid, "If they like you more, they'll enjoy doing things for you more and the more they like it the better job they'll do because they're doing it with all their heart and a job done with one's heart and not just one's hand is the best job one can do."

"Hmm," he said, suddenly feeling bad, "I guess you're right. I never really thought about it."

"And how would you like it if people ordered you around?"

"I'm sorry, older me, I really should be more considerate," he replied. Suddenly he clutched on to me and started crying.

"Are you alright?" I asked, alarmed.

"Aye, I'm fine, I just never realized those things before," he said smiling up at me and rubbing his eyes.

"You're welcome," I replied, "Now let's check on Yugi."

I turned around and walked to the bed. Yugi lay there unmoving like death. I touched him, then checked his pulse. Good, he was still alive. Thank the gods. Yugi... I would do anything... anything to help you... I clung on to him and then something came over me. I just started crying.

"Yami no Yuugi," Atemu said, laying a hand on my shoulder.

I looked up. "I-I'm sorry," I said, "I really should control myself in the presence of a son of _Heru_."

"It's alright," he said, "I do that sometimes too... and for stupider reasons. Here, you and Yuugi can sleep over there in that bed over there." He smiled . "Remember, you don't have to get all formal around me."

I put Yugi on the bed and then took off all the jewlery Atemu had kindly given me and slipped in with him. I touched him and tried to make mind link with him.

Flash

I was in my soul room. I opened the door and slipped over to Yugi's. The door didn't open particularly easily so I supposed Yugi hadn't waken up anytime. I scanned the room. Where was he? Then I looked on the ground. Yugi! He looked even worse then in life. So pale. I could see his soul just barely clinging to him. I pressed him to my bosom and cried silently. I just held him close as if somehow I could transfer my energy into him and make him better. I just wished...

I went into my soul room and from the shadows in it I fashoned a sort of ankh charm. They were supposed to keep your soul from escaping your body. I didn't know if it would work in this case, but I caried it over to Yugi and strapped it onto his wrist where his pulse was. It helped, a little... or was it just my imagination? No matter... I carried Yugi to a cusion in a corner of his sould room and laid him on it. Then, I went to sleep.


	4. Decision

Chapter 4. The answer

The next few days, the priests and priestesses wore themselves out tending to Yugi, keeping him alive and trying to find the problem... but nothing seemed to work. Just when, Seto, Mahaado, or Aishisu thought they found something, it was a dead end.

It was late one night I sat on the roof stairing up at mother Nut's stars. I sighed.

"Are you alright?" It was Aishisu. "You disapeared and I wasn't sure where you went."

"Sorry, I should have let you or Atem know," I replied, getting up.

"Tell me," She said, "Are you really the Pharaoh?"

"If I told the truth... would you believe it?" I asked.

"I would," She replied, "The sennen tauk would tell me."

"Alright..." and I recited to her what I had told Atemu the first day but in greater detail. Her eyes were wide with surprise.

"My Pharaoh!" She exclaimed and fell to her knees.

"Please, Aishisu-sama, get up," I said, feeling uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry," She said, "I didn't believe you. I haven't really treated you like the real Pharaoh."

"Really, It's alright," I replied, "Go and tell the others but first let me tell you something. I don't know if this situation has 'happened' yet but I promis'ed' Mahaado that I would someday make a world where rank and status didn't matter, but don't tell anyone. Atemu-sama will tell you himself soon."

"Yes, my Pharaoh," she replied, bowing quickly, "now I will go help care for Yugi," she said turning to go. I looked up at the sky one last time, and decided to follow.

Early the one morning, Mahaado burst into the room. "We've made a breakthrough!" He exclaimed. "Come quickly!"

I pulled the tunic over my head and ran after Mahaado to the temple where they had been keeping Yugi for a while now. The priests had obviously been preparing to for my arrival because the looked very good even thought they were probably very tired. Atemu had already arrived.

"Good Morning!" He said.

"Good Morning, Atemu," I replied. "How is Yugi?"

"I'm afraid his condition hasn't changed much," Aishisu said, hugging her arms, "But we have descovered something!"

"Yes," I said.

"Well, you see," Priest Seto began, "Mahaado was doing some... stuff, and he came across this spell. Whoever cast it really wants Yugi... or you... dead because no matter what we did we couldn't remove it. Now, if we can't remove it, I'm sorry my Pharaoh," he said uneasily as if trying to delay the bad news, "But either you or Yugi will have to die."

I was devastated and angry. How could this happen? "Yugi!" I threw myself on him and began crying uncontrollably. When I finally stopped, it was several hours later. The priests and Atemu had left me, probably out of courtesy and to go to their duties. So this was it. It was me or Yugi and I was ready to make the sacrifice. Yugi did not deserve this in any way. I would return to the palace and pray one last time.

A terrible scene had awaited me there. I cried out in shock when I stepped into the shrine room. The entire place was covered in blood. Dead guards and dead hunting dogs laid everywhere.

"I've been expecting you, Pharaoh!" A mocking voice teased. I swung around to see thief Nahkti standing there. All the priests had been taken captive. They all stood there. Their eyes shining with anger and hurt pride. Priest Seto was red with shame. Being the high priest he had to be extremely pure. He took this 'clean' thing to almost obsessivness at times. He would usually freak out and repeat the cleansing ritual many times over if so much as a drop of something _possibly_ unclean touched him. Now, his priest's robe was torn and bloody and the entire place was covered with the blood. Nahkti laughed mockingly. Just then, a boy stepped out from behind him. The boy, in fact, was Bakura Ryoo. Despite his pale hair and skin, he looked very much like an Egyptian boy... well, as much as I did. He grinned nervously, and apologetically at me.

"Bakura, where is your Yami?" I asked.

Bakura looked questioningly at me.

"Hahahahahahahahahah! You fool! I am Yami no Bakura!" Nahkti laughed, "You came here by accident but I did it on purpose and the transfer came much cleaner. We fused. In fact, you just might be putting Atemu's life in danger as well."

"You mean... you cast that spell?" I asked.

"Duh. Baka."

Just then, a dirty, wounded Atemu stepped from behind one of the colossal statues. "Let... them... go!"

"My Pharaoh! No!" Aishisu shouted.

"So, that's where you've been hiding, boy," Nahkti said, and grabbed Atemu by the throat.

I winced at the disrespect. Why wasn't he protecting himself? Just then I noticed, the sennen puzzle that was previously on Atemu's neck, was now on Nahkti's. Nahkti squeezed until Atemu blacked out and then dropped him on the bloodstained floor and laughed maliciously.

He approached me. "So, will it be you... or little Yugi?"


	5. Save Yuugi!

Chapter 6. Save Yuugi!

Normal POV

I ran until I reached the palace. "Aibou!"

Nahkti had lied again, but this time I was grateful. Yugi was still alive, but barely. Somehow his soul must have sensed my urgency because, miracle of miracles he opened his eyes.

"Yuugi!"

"Y-yami... where am I? Why are you covered with blood?"

"Yugi... I found out what is wrong with you but it will take a miracle to remove that spell."

"Spell?"

"Yes, Yami Bakura cast it on you so that either you will die or I will have to die. We don't have much time and only Yami Bakura can remove it." I picked him up. "Does this hurt, Aibou?" I asked.

"No, it's okay," he replied.

I ran back to the temple, still carrying Yugi and to my surprise, they had captured Nahkti.

"Pharaoh," Karimu said, "We can't get Nahkti to remove the spell. No form of torture is working... well, no form we can use in short notice."

Nahkti grinned manically. Just then Ryoo got a serious look on his face and whispered something to Seto. Seto looked incredulous and whispered something back but Ryoo nodded his head determinedly. Seto sighed, and unsheathed the dagger on his Sennen rod. He took Ryoo in his muscular arms and held the blade tight against his throat.

Ryoo POV

"You have to! It was the only thing that worked last time!" I insisted and Seto relented. It was easier this time. Can you imagine how hard it is for one to kill oneself? Seto grabbed me with one strong arm, so tightly in fact it hurt. He unsheathed his sennen rod's dagger and pressed it hard against my throat which still hurt from my self inflicted wound which's blood was still drying. I clenched my teeth.

"Fix Yuugi," Seto ordered, "or Ryoo will die." He said it in a tone which was deathly serious.

"Pah!" Nahkti snorted, "You don't have the heart to kill the Pharaoh's little savior."

"Oh yes he does," Atemu insisted, "You don't want to know what he's done!"

Seto looked uncomfortable. "Well, little boy..."

"Don't you call me 'little boy'!"

"Pharaoh," he said that with a sneer, "you don't want to know what _I've_ done."

"Want me to prove it?" Seto asked. He was getting so mad that he unconsciously pressed harder, reopening the wound.

"I don't care. Once Yugi dies everthing will go as planned."

I knew he was faking it from our soul link but I was still afraid. Seto dug the knife deeper. "Are you sure, Ryoo?" he asked worriedly.

"I'm sure!" I replied hoarsely. Seto tightened his grip.

"No!" Nahkti shouted angrily. Seto looked relived and took the knife away which was now dripping with my blood and I fell to the floor. "Alright, I'll remove the spell." I smiled to myself before I blacked out.

Aishisu POV

I rushed to Ryoo's side. Had Seto killed him? No, he was alright. He had only lost some blood. He was so brave for a little boy. I lifted him up, staining the front of my robe with blood. Nahkti had shouted just soon enough, any closer and Ryoo would be dead now. Being the master killer that he was, he obviously knew these things.

Nahkti whispered some words over Yugi, then asked me to hand Ryoo over.

I waited until Yugi got up.

"Y-yami..." The Pharaoh was the first thing he saw.

Normal POV

"Oh! Yugi," I hugged him, "You're alright, you're alright."

"Yami! That's wonderful! But how did you figure out what it was and where am I?"

I was so happy I could only laugh and laugh until the tears ran down my face. When I finally calmed down. I explained everything to Yugi.

"But where is Ryoo?" he finally asked.

"Huh?" but neither Nahkti nor Ryoo could be found.

"They returned to the present, my Pharaoh," Shaada said.


	6. home again

Chapter 7. Home again

I sat happily amongst the ruffled priests, and a rather filthy Atemu. We were tired but happy that it was all over.

"Great!" Seto exclaimed sarcastically, "Now I'll never be clean! I'll have to do the cleansing ritual 50,000,000,000 times!"

Everyone laughed and even Seto grinned sheepishly.

"Really," I said, after I stopped laughing, "I don't know how to thank you all. You've all been so good to me even when you didn't know who I was. You risked your very lives for a boy you didn't know."

"It was our honor, Pharaoh," Aishisu said, bowing. The other priests echoed her. "We could see your heart and whether Pharaoh, lord, or present, you had a noble heart. That is what he taught us," she laid a hand on Atemu. "He wanted a world where we would not judge by the rank or race but by character, heart, and blood."

"So, he did tell you," I said.

"Yes, he did," Aishisu replied.

"And I've learned even more from you," Atemu added, "That's something that's priceless."

"Thank you all. I've had a wonderful stay here..." I paused and with the uneasy silence the priest looked embarrassedly around the prayer room. Then we all laughed.

"I'm glad it's all over but now that we've healed Yugi, how are we going to get home?" I asked. Yugi looked at questionly at the priests too.

"Over here!" Shaada and Mahaado yelled. They had a created a portal for us... a portal home. I walked over.

"Thank you Aishisu for being so loyal, I'll miss you," I said and kissed her hand.

"Thank you Seto for keeping your cool and," I cleared my throat, "and...uh... don't worry. You got 'unclean' for a good reason. I'm sure the gods will forgive you. You probably only need to do the ritual... oh, 10...15... times..."

Seto grinned uncomfortably while the other priests regarded me with a look of horror. Why didn't he only say 2 or 3? they were probably thinking.

"Thank you all for being so kind to me," I said, "Goodbye my friends," I said and stepped into the portal.

There was a flash and when I opened my eyes I was in a hospital.

"Yugi! It's Yugi! He's woken up!" Surogoku Motou. Yugi's grandfather. I felt a dull pain in my arm. An IV... how long had I been here?

"Yugi?" he addressed me. "No, wait, you're not Yugi."

"No, I'm not," I replied truthfully, "Yugi is sleeping."

"Good," said Surogoku, "He probably needs it after overcoming whatever illness just occurred.

"You have no idea," I replied uncomfortably.

"Oh, I was so worried! The doctors had no idea what was going on!" Mrs. Motou said, covering my face with kisses, "I missed you so much, my dear boy."

Yuugi... you're mom says hi

/hahahaha...uh... I'm glad I'm not the one out there/

You little cheat!

hehehehe

It seemed here at home they had all had their struggle too and they too were relieved. Yugi no Okaasan and Surogoku walked out the room to let Yugi rest. Things were at peace... for now... I thought to myself uncomfortably.

Nahkti POV

When I got back I didn't even get back in Ryoo's body. It looked painful. That... that boy! He had the nerve to defy me time after time! I guess he was kind of brave... in a nice, annoying sort of way... oh well... I'd just have to think of another way to try and break his spirit. It was fun torturing him sometimes but he always messed with my plans... the Pharaoh was bad enough. It just wasn't what I lived for. I was a man with a destiny to fufil and no one, especially not a skinny little boy, was going to get in my way. I sat on the bed and played with his long, white hair. Hair like mine... if he really was my 'reincarnation'... save he didn't have my soul 'in' him... maybe he gotten that spunk from me. It was a thought.

He opened his eyes. They widened with fear. The little wuss. He was scared that I was going to punish him for saving the Pharaoh. I laughed, making him even more nervous. Well, maybe I would, little Hikari, maybe I would, but right now we were both tired from the journey. I slipped in next to him and quickly fell asleep.

****

The End


End file.
